北海道函館市弥生町2

ペリー提督　来航記念碑

　日本と和親条約を締結したアメリカの海軍提督M.C.ペリーは、1854年（安政元年）5月17日、開港される箱館港を下検分するため、5隻の艦船を率いて来航した。
　 滞在中には、箱館湾の海図を作成したほか、銀板写真術（ダゲレオタイプ）の初公開、西洋音楽の吹奏などを行い、当時の人々の驚きの様子が記録として残っている。
　 このペリー来航が契機となり、蝦夷地（北海道）を統治する箱館奉行所の移転先として5稜郭が築造されることになったほか、開港場として欧米文化の影響を受け、本市が国際観光都市として発展する礎となった。

　黒船来航150周年（2004年）を目前に、日米和親の意を後世に伝え、ペリー提督を末永く顕彰するため、ここ函館の由緒ある地に「ペリー提督来航記念碑」を建立する。

Memorial Statue of the Visit of Commodore Matthew C. Perry to Hakodate

　Having concluded the peace and amity treaty, Commodore Matthew C. Perry of the U.S. Navy visited Hakodate on May 17, 1854 with his squadron of five ships. The purpose was to survey Port Hakodate, which was to open under the treaty. Besides making a chart of Hakodate harbor, he surprised Hakodate people by introducing daguerreotype and performing Western music during his stay. The reactions of the people in those days are kept on record to this day.
　With the visit of Commodore Perry as a momentum, a star-shaped citadel “Goryokaku” was built as a new office for the Hakodate Magistrate’s office to administer Ezochi (then Hokkaido). As an international trade port Hakodate was greatly influenced by Western culture, and this fact laid the foundation for Hakodate as an international tourism city today.


　On the eve of the 150th anniversary (in 2004) of the visit of the black ships, we establish on this commemorative site the memorial statue of the visit of Commodore Matthew C. Perry to Hakodate. This is to honor his exploits and to bequeath the essence of the peace and amity treaty to future generations.
May 17, 2002 Committee for the Establishment of the Memorial Statue of the Visit of Commodore Matthew C. Perry to Hakodate